As the market has tighten in San Francisco Bay Area, I have noticed that I got an increased calls for redesign to sell jobs, which means the sellers will be living in the home while they are selling. I also have consequently toured homes that have been sitting on the market for awhile (such as 140 days) that are live-in.

Here is what I have found:

Knives in the kitchen or other weapons for that matter (such as knives or gun collection)-- Kitchen knives are shockingly common during open houses mainly because they are very needed for daily life. But it can also be dangerous if your "buyers" don't have the best intention in mind, especially in our area, majority of single family homes start around 1 million dollars.. Robbers will assume you have money & expensive items in your house.

Personal photos, especially kids -- We love adorable kids just as you do, but displaying your children's or grand children's photos is not safest thing during open house. During an open house, there are lots of people walking around and it is very unlikely the agent will actually able to identify they are actual buyers, not people with history of violence and sexual offenses. During the open homes, buyers are free to roam around the home to explore the floor plan and learn where the exits and entrances are. Similarly, they will see your photos. Usually after touring a home during a consultation or an open home, I can tell what the child looks like, what's his/hers name, what does he/she like, his/hers favorite toys, etc. 

Even if you don't have kids, displaying personal items can tell tourers how many people live in the home and their living habits. Especially single woman or someone living by himself/herself need to be aware of this. The tourers can find out what you look like, your age group, what your profession is and what you like to do for fun. (I lived with 60 girls, everyone loved their party photos.)

Opportunities for identity thefts -- I have visited quite a few homes where the homeowners kind of got the idea that declutter is a must. But what they meant was they would stack papers neatly on the office desk, including their bills. Most bills contain personal information such as account numbers that can easily be swiped during a crowded open house.

Expensive jewelry & money -- True, your agent will be responsible and follow your potential buyers around during an open house. But what if there are more than 1 person in the touring party? 1 can easily distracts your agent while the other swipes your expensive jewelry in their pockets & purses. During an open house, broker/agent has to be multi-tasking and they may not be able to pay attention to smaller items such as a diamond ring.

Medication -- People DO steal medication to sell to others or whatever other reasons. In my area, there was a man who dresses very nicely and poses as a buyer and goes around to crowded open houses to raid people's medicine cabinets. I found out because agents were going around the blocks to warn their fellow agents during tour day. 

So please be safe! There's nothing more important than your safety. More than any amount of money you can receive. 

Happy Selling,

Cindy
www.staged4more.com